The Cereal Bowl is a new franchise based in the USA. Founded in 2004 it is a new bread of cafe, one which gives the customer the ability to mix and match their own cereal. To me it sounds like the Subway of cereal. It was start by two guys who decided to turn their love of cereal whilst students into a business opportunity. They opened up a cafe style place where you can get up to 35 different cereals with loads of different toppings, sit on comfy couches and use free wireless or watch TV etc.
It’s an interesting idea, in an apparently growing market (in the USA at least, I’m not sure over here in the UK). However I can see it working over here, it would be nice to have some alternate options for “fast food” in the mornings especially if it’s likely to be a healthy alternate like cereals and fruits.
As MacDonalds has recently started stocking Innocent smoothies, I wonder if they might find a way to work with someone else to offer a healthy alternative to their McMuffin breakfasts - an opportunity for Dorset Cereals perhaps?
They estimate the costs of starting a franchise ranges from $231,500 to $332,000 which includes franchise fee, fixtures and fittings, initial stock and cost of opening. Quite a significant investment but on a par with others in the same sector.
This blog is about business opportunities and ideas that I spot, think of or hear about and think are useful and interesting. It is intended to provide ideas and inspriation for you to help you find the right business idea for you to then grow it into a successful business.
Sounds like a great idea to me, especially in towns with a decent student population - I can imagine one of these on campus doing a roaring trade.
Good point, I’d been more thinking out positioning them around the busy stations in London.
busy stations would be great if they did a takeaway service, in general thats what works in terms of food at that sort of place. Busy stations are busy with people moving through them not to them. I don’t imagine that there are that many people who are too rushed to eat breakfast before they leave for work, but that have enough time to eat it when they get to the station, or get off the train at the other end.
To adapt a well known locomotive quote, it might be the wrong sort of footfall.